Active electronically scanned array (AESA) systems provide reliable performance over respective ultra-wide bands (UWBs) of operating frequencies. AESA systems are commonly used in communication systems, military and weather radar systems, electronic intelligence systems, or biological or medical microwave imaging systems. An AESA system makes use of an array of radiating elements (or antenna elements) steerable via a respective group of transmit/receive modules (TRMs). By independently steering each of its antenna elements, an AESA system provides a relatively high reception/transmission performance through constructive accumulation of signals associated with a plurality of antenna elements. Also, because of the inherent capability to simultaneously use, and independently steer, a respective plurality of antenna elements, the single failures of one or few antenna elements within an AESA system have little effect on the operation of the AESA system as a whole. Furthermore, AESA systems are difficult to jam because of their capability to hop from one operational frequency to another within the respective UWB.
Existing AESA systems, however, suffer from various limitations. For example, many AESA systems are characterized with thick apertures. For example, in typical Vivaldi apertures, the length of the antenna elements is about four times the wavelength at the highest supported frequency. Such thickness imposes constraints on the space needed to mount a Vivaldi AESA system on a deployment platform. Also, the printed circuit board (PCB) technology employed in constructing many AESA apertures impose a limit on the maximum instantaneous bandwidth (IBW) achievable. Furthermore, existing AESA aperture topologies may not provide enough topological flexibility to conform with curved deployment platform surfaces. In particular, most existing AESA apertures have planar configurations. In addition, most existing AESA aperture architectures are not easily scalable. This deficiency in scalability increases the complexity and cost of constructing make large AESA apertures.
The limitations of existing AESA systems can hinder possibilities of expanding the use of AESA systems in new communication, military, or sensing systems requiring wider frequency bands than typical UWBs supported by existing AESA systems, or requiring large and/or non-planar apertures. Overcoming such limitations would support such new systems and can allow for reduced cost AESA apertures.